A military plane crashed in Colombia.
As a result of the incident, 66 people died, and four people are missing.
On Monday, a military aircraft crashed during takeoff in Colombia, resulting in 66 fatalities. Reuters reports this based on official sources.
It is reported that rescuers have transported dozens of survivors to nearby hospitals and are still searching for four individuals who remain missing.
According to the head of the Colombian Armed Forces, Hugo Alejandro Lopez, there were a total of 128 people on the Lockheed Martin-manufactured Hercules C-130 transport aircraft. Among them were 11 members of the Air Force, 115 army soldiers, and two national police officers.
The death toll is nearly double the figure initially announced. Search and rescue operations are currently ongoing at the crash site.
Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez stated that the incident occurred as the aircraft was taking off from the town of Puerto Leguizamo, an area located on the border with Peru.
Fire safety official Eduardo San Juan Callexas reported that the plane suffered an impact near the end of the runway and then, while falling, one of its wings struck a tree. The crash resulted in the aircraft catching fire and some explosive devices on board detonating.
Residents from an area located farther from the crash site were the first to arrive and helped extract survivors. Videos show men quickly transporting wounded soldiers on the backs of motorcycles along dirt roads.
Military equipment arrived later. However, the difficulty in reaching the crash site slowed down rescue efforts. Lopez stated that 57 survivors have been hospitalized, with 30 of them receiving treatment at a military clinic.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, nearing the end of his term, criticized that plans to modernize the military system are being delayed due to bureaucratic obstacles.
"I will no longer tolerate delays. This is about the lives of our youth. If civilian or military administrative officials cannot perform this task, they will be removed from their positions," he said on the social network X.
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson stated the company's readiness to assist Colombia in the investigation being conducted regarding the incident.
